Wednesday, January 04th, 2012

HEADLINES

• Mullaiperiyar, Idduki dams safe says supreme court appointed empowered panel
• States should be free to decide on Lakhayuktha; Mamta stubborn

NATIONAL NEWS

• Mullaiperiyar, Idduki dams safe
  • The two technical experts of the supreme court appointed empowered committee has informed that the recent tremors does not have any impact on the dams and the dams are safe.
  • The two members are C.D.Thatte and D.K Mehta

• Tamil Nadu state government hands over Land for the neutrino laboratory
  • The India based Neutrino Laboratory (INO) has been handed over 26.85 acres of land by the TN government in Theni district
  • The INO project is a multi institution project coming up at the bodi west hills in pottipuram of the Theni district
  • The department of atomic energy along with 25 leading institutions are spearheading this project along with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
  • A huge neutrino magnetised detector will be placed in a cavern inside a rock mass after drilling a tunnel to research on elusive particles of nature called neutrino.
    
    
• PM addresses the 99^th Indian science congress in Bubhaneswar.
  • Expressed concern that the expenditure on research and development in India has been too low and stagnant
  • He said that the public funding in R&D is screwed to fundamental research and a set of principles should be set up to push industrial and applied research and to drive PPPs in R&D.
  • India must aim to spend 2% of the GDP on research from the current 0.9%.
  • PM also urged the scientific output to be more relevant to the needs of the country and the traditional systems of knowledge be explored and rejuvenated.
  • Research should be directed towards finding frugal solutions to the problem of providing food, water and security to the poor
  • Government is looking at a proposal to build a supercomputing facility at the IISC bangalore at the cost of 5000 crore
  • The department of science and technology is also looking at a scheme “DISHA” to help women scientists relocate to other cities
    
    
• Global recognition for Koraput
  • The tribal community of Koraput has been chosen by the united nations food and agricultural organisation for recognition under its Globally important agricultural heritage sites programme.
  • This recognition is for their contribution to conserving biodiversity and climate resistant farming systems.
  • The PM while congratulating them also extolled the tribal communities of Kharia, Santhals, Gonds and Kolhas on medicinal use of locally available plants.
  • Dr. Singh also paid rich tributes to the former chief minister Biju Patnaik who established the Unesco's Kalinga prize 60 years ago.
    
    
• Padma Subramaniyam receives the first “Natya Kala Acharya” award.
  
  
• Matscience a national institute under the department of atomic energy, dedicated to mathematics has turned 50 years.
  
  
• Forest guards not in favour of Ghats authority
  • The Kerala forest department has come out against the formation of western ghats ecology authority since it feels the move will violate the principles of “Federalism and decentralised decision making”.
  • They also opposed the decision to make the entire western ghats an eco sensitive area as suggested by the westen ghats ecology expert panel headed by Madhav Gadgil.
  • The forest department argues the multiple regulatory regimes(The report has recommended a three tier set up – Union, state and district level) will impede the development activities in this region.
  • The department also opposed the panel's application of uniform criteria for selection of ecologically sensitive zones for different states(The proposal is to bring 75% of the state under ecologically sensitive zone 1(highly sensitive) and Zone 2 (Sensitive).
  • It suggests that the some experts of the western ghats ecology expert panel be inducted in to the forest advisory committee, which clears the proposal under the forest conservation act.
  • The expert panel's suggestion to have service charges being paid as incentives for continued conservation oriented activities also was criticized by the forest department.

• Railway tickets can be booked from mobile
  • An internet enabled mobile owner can download the software from IRCTC.
  • Registration will be needed for the first time, and for further booking ID and password is needed.
  • A message or a virtual ticket will be sent to the mobiles. Indian railways have made paper free tickets available with the creation of the virtual ticketing system.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• First west asia talks in 15 months start
  • Israeli and palestinian negotiators have started new round of talks in Jordanian capital though both sides agree that a full round of talks is still a far way to go.
  • Israel is represented by Yitzchak Molcho and palestine by Saeb Erakat
    
    
• Iran warns US's biggest warship John C. Stennis to keep off from its former base in the persion Gulf.

• US regulator approved new reactor design.
  • The US nuclear regulatory commission has approved the reactor design of Wettington's AP1000 reactor for use in the US

EDITORIALS, OPINIONS AND COLUMNS

• Just read this to get a sense of what happens with the election commission when the country goes on election mode
• Editorial on Nigeria's twin challenges
• Editorial on the new lunar exploration by NASA

BUSINESS NEWS

• Number portability likely on savings bank account
  • The finance ministry is working on a mechanism which will allow the customers to keep the bank account while changing the bank.
  • The banks will have to work on the identification code, Know your customer (KYC) and core banking solution for implementing the savings bank account number portability.

• Telecom dispute Settlement and Appelatetribunal(TDSAT)cannot decide on 3G roaming issue says DoT
  • The DoT has reiterated its claim that the 3G roaming agreements between private partners is illegal.
  • The DoT said that TDSAT has no jurisdiction over the petition that defend the alteration in the license terms and conditions
  • Five mobile operators challenged the governments decision in making 35 Intra circle roaming agreements as illegal.

• The centre likely to give green signal to the disinvestment departments proposal to help it raise 40,000 crore through innovative means such as buyback and cross holding of equities in central public sector enterprises
  • The SEBI has reduced the norms for buyback of shares and dilution of equities.
  • The cross holding of equities will help the government raise money without diluting its hold on such PSUs
  • Under the buyback mode the government can raise money by selling its equity in the company to the PSU itself.
  • SEBI has introduced a new mechanism called the “institutional placement programme” and offer of sale of share through stock exchanges to expedite the sale of shares, under which a promoter would be able to dilute its equity in the company quickly.

• Production looks up, but farmers downcast
  • Buoyed by the record food production and the highest output of Kharif in 2010-11 the government has projected a total output of 245 million tonnes in 2011-2012 despite the sown area being lower in the wheat, oilseads, pulses and coarse grains this season.
  • The agricultural ministry has recommended the lifting of ban on the export of wheat and rice following the comfortable stock position.
  • The major increase in food grain production has come from non traditional states such as Rajastan, Andhrapradesh, UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chattisgarh and Gujarat.
  • During the year the government has set up Norman Bourlag institute for south asia with centres in Ludhiana, Samastipur(Bihar) and Jabalpur(Maharastra)
  • A must read article with lot of information